How often should I change my strings?

This might not be the most exciting topic to talk about, but I do get asked this question all the time! It’s worth writing a blog about it, as I know a few students who have had the same strings on their guitar for well over a year at this point!

Basically, it comes down to a few factors. These factors are….
– How often you play
– How good your strings are
– How seriously you take guitar
If you play all the time (especially in this humid weather!), chances are your sweat will wear out the strings, making them sound dull, much harder to bend and have really bad intonation. If you play nearly every day, or play for around 10 hours a week, your strings really won’t last much longer than 2 weeks at the most.
If you buy cheaper strings, they may not last too long either. I use a brand of string on my acoustic and electric guitars called ‘elixir’s’, which are covered in a coating that protects the string from eroding or rusting. These are a little bit more expensive than regular strings (around 1500円)but they last at least a month with fairly heavy playing so I consider it a pretty good deal!
Lastly, if you use the guitar as a way to relax, or if you don’t take the guitar too seriously, you probably don’t need to change the strings all that much. As long as the guitar feels comfortable to play and stays in tune well, its all good!
Also, Just as an additional note, Acoustic strings will last a little bit longer than electric strings, but they do still need changing! If you are unsure of how to change strings, check out youtube! There are 1000s of instructional videos that can help you out! Or just ask one of the teachers (or Narumi-san at the front desk) and we can give you some tips!
Happy Re-stringing!